Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing
| Company type | Joint-stock company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, defense |
| Predecessor | 31st Aviation Factory |
| Founded | December 15, 1941 in Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Headquarters | Tbilisi , Georgia |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Zurab Azarashvili (director since 2020) |
| Products | Military aircraft, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, missiles, cable car cabins, space antenna reflectors |
Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing (TAM), also referred to as JSC Tbilaviamsheni and formerly known as the 31st Aviation Factory, is a Georgian enterprise specializing in aerospace development and production, which additionally manufactures armored personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).
History
Founded on December 15, 1941, TAM was established when aircraft production facilities from Taganrog and Sevastopol were transferred to Tbilisi amid World War II. Initially, TAM produced fighter planes such as the LaGG-3 and Yak-3, becoming the exclusive provider of fighters for the Caucasian front.
Following the war, TAM worked closely with the Yakovlev Design Bureau to manufacture early Soviet jet fighters including the Yak-15, Yak-17, Yak-23, and its two-seat trainer model. During the 1950s, the company produced Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 fighters and subsequently built MiG-21 two-seater versions for approximately 25 years. Concurrently, it manufactured the K-10S air-to-surface guided missile. Between 1950 and 1990, TAM expanded into civil engineering by producing cable car cabins and related equipment, some of which remain operational in various regions.
TAM served as the sole producer of the Sukhoi Su-25 close air support aircraft from its initial flight at the facility, delivering more than 800 units worldwide. In addition to the Su-25, TAM manufactured infrared-guided air-to-air missiles R-60 and R-73, producing over 6,000 annually until the early 1990s.
In the late 1990s, TAM collaborated with the Georgian Space Constructions Institute to develop and fabricate space antenna reflectors deployed on the Russian MIR space station. Between 1996 and 1998, it produced Su-25U aircraft models and commenced upgrading Su-25 airframes to the Su-25KM Scorpion variant starting in 2001.
During the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, TAM’s factory was targeted by Russian Air Force bombing. After this event, Georgia pursued modernization of its military vehicles; consequently, TAM began developing the Didgori Armoured Personnel Carrier series and Lazika Infantry Fighting Vehicle in partnership with STC Delta.
In 2020, TAM recommenced refurbishment of Georgian Air Force aircraft to enhance national defense capabilities.
Current capabilities
TAM undertakes restoration work on the following military aircraft to return them to operational status:
Customers
- – Has procured several Su-25 aircraft.
- – Obtained one Su-25.
- – Received multiple Su-25 units as part of a gas agreement.
Directors
- 1941–1942 — Suren Ivanovich Agadzhanov
- 1942–1950 — Vladimir Yeremeyevich Saladze
- 1950–1978 — Yakov Romanovich Khvedeliani
- 1978–1990 — Pantiko Shalvovich Tordia
- 1990–1998 — Avtandil Grigorievich Khoperia
- 1998–2002 — Pantiko Shalvovich Tordia
- 2002–2020 — Nodar Beridze
- from 2020 — Zurab Azarashvili